Deadly shooting at Northeast DC Exxon gas station under investigation, police searching for dark van
WASHINGTON (7News) — The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) was at the scene of a deadly shooting in Northeast Thursday night.
Shortly before 5:20 p.m., officers responded to an Exxon gas station in the 2200 block of New York Avenue for the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, police located a man suffering from a gunshot wound, MPD said.
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7News reporter Sam Ford confirmed the man was pronounced dead.
As detectives worked the crime scene Thursday night, a District 5 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner spoke with 7News.
"We cannot let this continue to happen," said ANC Kathy Henderson. "Thanksgiving is a short time away. Christmas is around the corner. We can't live like this."
Witnesses told 7News the shooting victim was working under the hood of his car when he was shot. They said they did not believe he was the intended target. D.C. police have not confirmed that.
The victim's dog was left behind on the scene as the man was rushed to a hospital.
His family later arrived to retrieve the dog before animal control could take it away.
The emotional scene takes place at the same location where a man was shot just two nights before.
Back in October, an off-duty D.C. Housing Authority officer was shot in traffic, just about a quarter-mile away.
The violent incidents are why Henderson says it is urgent that the city get additional help.
"The city is in trouble and we need to take corrective action now," she said. "I'm renewing my call for the mayor and the DC Council to join forces to ask our president to activate the National Guard. We need the help to patrol."
"We have resources readily available to use," Henderson said. "There's no shame in saying that you need to use these resources."
"Right now we are leading the nation in homicides, and we're the nation's capital. Trepidation aside, let's do what we need to do to get the city back in control."
The victim killed Thursday night marks D.C.'s 244th homicide of the year.
Police are searching for a dark Astro Van with a different color sliding door that was seen leaving the scene.